Big Data and Official Statistics: Opportunities, Challenges and Risks

Abstract

The development of big data is set to be a significant disruptive innovation in the production of official statistics offering a range of opportunities, challenges and risks to the work of national statistical institutions (NSIs). This paper provides a synoptic overview of these issues in detail, mapping out the various pros and cons of big data for producing official statistics, examining the work to date by NSIs in formulating a strategic and operational response to big data, and plotting some suggestions with respect to on-going change management needed to address the use of big data for official statistics.

Keywords: big data, official statistics, national statistical institutions, opportunities, challenges, risks